Volkswagen AG — Ethics Grade D

Volkswagen AG receives an overall ethics grade of D (32/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Automotive. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 45
• privacy: 50
• consumer: 30
• environment: 20
• humanRights: 15

Documented incidents (3)

• Dieselgate Emissions Fraud (high, 2015) — Volkswagen installed 'defeat devices' in millions of diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests, emitting up to 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide. The company admitted to the deception following an investigation by the EPA and independent researchers.
• Xinjiang Forced Labor Allegations (high, 2020) — Volkswagen faced intense scrutiny over its plant in Urumqi, China, amid reports of state-sponsored forced labor targeting Uyghur Muslims. Human rights groups and investors pressured the company to conduct an independent audit of its supply chain in the region.
• Diesel Exhaust Testing on Primates (medium, 2018) — A German automaker-funded research group commissioned tests that forced monkeys to inhale diesel exhaust from a VW Beetle to prove newer engines were cleaner. The experiments were widely condemned by animal rights groups and the German government.

Documented good deeds

• Massive Electrification Investment — Volkswagen committed over €180 billion toward battery production and EV software to transition its entire fleet to carbon-neutral by 2050.

Ethical alternatives

• BMW Group — Better supply chain transparency and higher circular economy targets for vehicle materials.